Rising, Gage nodded. Although the principal had permitted him complete autonomy in the music department, Gage still wanted to keep Louis apprised of what was happening inhisdepartment. He left the hospital and headed home. He had several hours before he was to pick Tonya up and take her to Jazzes. He’d committed to playing one set because he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
Gage had deliberately kept busy so he didn’t have to think about Tonya. He had interacted with a lot of women abroad and in the States, but she was the first one whom he believed was his alter ego. Whenever they were together, he could be himself because of her easygoing personality. What initially surprised him was her candor, but now it was something he expected and looked forward to.
Even Eustace couldn’t stop talking about how she was now able to duplicate the family’s recipes for gumbo and jambalaya, and that he sold many more sandwiches now that the bread was baked on the premises. And Tonya would remain after closing hours to put up dough for ciabatta, pita, and focaccia, along with the baguettes, and by closing time they were able to sell every loaf. While he had trained under a Michelin-starred chef, Tonya’s extensive training far exceeded his, and once she opened her restaurant, he knew she would become a much sought-after chef in a city with a number of high-profile celebrity chefs.
He did not want to think of her romantically, but every time they were together Gage found it more and more difficult not to fantasize about making love to Tonya. Everything about her was lush, feminine, and sensual. Perhaps it was time he stop living in the past; marriage had made it hard for him to trust a woman, and divorce was even more bitter because he had lost custody of his son. If he had raised the boy, he was almost certain Wesley would have chosen a different lifestyle than the one that could only lead to him losing his life.
His cell phone rang and his mother’s number appeared on the dashboard screen. Tapping the Bluetooth feature on the steering wheel, he said, “Hello, Mom.”
“Hi, Gage. I’m calling to find out whether you plan to come up next week to watch the Super Bowl with us?”
“I can’t. I’m helping Eustace with a couple of catering orders, and then we’re going over to St. John’s to watch the game. Why?”
“Some of my friends are going up to Baton Rouge to hang out at Frank Lemoyne’s place to watch the game.”
Gage paused. This wasn’t the first time his mother had mentioned Frank’s name, and he wondered if something was going on between Desirée and her former classmate. “Make certain to have a designated driver,” he warned softly.
“I’m going to be the designated driver, because the older I get the less I can tolerate alcohol.”
“You sound like Eustace. He claims that if he has a couple of cocktails, then he’s done for the night.”
“I still remember meeting Eustace when he was only ten, and now he’s planning to attend his high school’s fortieth reunion.”
“Time goes by so fast that sometimes it’s hard for me to remember what I did the month before.”
Desirée’s husky laugh filled the interior of the vehicle. “You’re much too young to talk about having senior moments.”
“I’m busier now than I’ve ever been.” Gage told his mother about the change in his teaching status. “I still play at Jazzes on Friday and Saturday nights, and help Eustace whenever he has to cater a large party.”
“You boys are just like your father. You work too much. And it isn’t as if you need the money, because André provided for all of us.”
Gage nodded, even though his mother couldn’t see him. The terms of André Toussaint’s will designated his wife and younger son as the beneficiaries of two of his life insurance policies, and his older son the ownership of Chez Toussaints. “The restaurant has been in the family for nearly a century, and there’s no reason why it can’t be passed down to Lindy, Nikki, and their kids for future generations. I’m certain you feel the same way about grandma and grandpa’s antique shop.”
There came a pause before Desirée said, “You’re right. I’ve been trying to get Jennifer to come and work with me, but she’s having problems with Tommy cheating on her. She knew he was tomcatting before she married him, so I don’t know what made her think he would stop after he became her husband.”
“I hear you,” Gage whispered. His mother’s niece had married a man she couldn’t depend on, while he had married Winifred, unaware of her reputation of sleeping around, but he had wanted to do the right thing when she told him she was pregnant with his child. “Talking to her is not going to solve her problem. She won’t do anything about it until she’s had enough and divorces him.”
“It’s not going to be easy for her, Gage. Remember she has three children all under the age of eighteen. I told her she could come and live with me, but she’s afraid when her husband has too much to drink that he’ll start in on me.”
“That’s never going to happen, Mom, because I’ll drive up to Lafayette and stomp a mud hole in his ass. I know you don’t want to get between them, but Jennifer is blood, and if you want, I’ll talk to Tommy, because it’s not only about Jennifer but also her kids.”
“I don’t know, Gage. Tommy may yes you to death, then after you leave he’ll turn on her and the kids.”
“We’ll see. I’ll come up to visit with you and grandma and grandpa in two weeks, and while I’m there I’ll stop in to see Jennifer. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to take Tommy aside and have a man-to-man talk with him. He may be a bully badass with his wife and kids, but I’m hoping he’ll be civil with me.”
“And what if he isn’t?” Desirée asked.
“Then Eustace and I will invite him to a blanket party.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ll throw a blanket over his head, and you can guess what happens next.”
Desirée laughed until she was breathless. “I never imagined my boys would turn out to be thugs.”
Gage smiled. There was never a time when his mother didn’t refer to him and his brother as “my boys” or “my sons.” “Everyone has a dark side, and remember we were raised to protect our women.”
“I always remind folks that’s how I met your father. Tell St. John I said hello, and send my best to Hannah. Did Eustace tell you that he and Janine came up to see me on Dr. King’s birthday?”
